Rat guard for mooring lines



Jan. 9, 1962 .1. EQRAISTAKKA RAT GUARD FOR MOORING LINES Filed Jan. 11, 1960 INVEN TOR. JOHN E. RAISTAKKA ATTO R N EYS United States Patent Office 3,@l6,034 Patented Jan. 9, 1962 3,016,034 RAT GUARD FOR MOORING LINES John E. Raistakka, 1414 SW. 12th Ave., Portland, Oreg. Filed Jan. 11, 1960, Ser. No. 1,726 1 Claim. (Cl. 114221) This invention relates to improvements in rat guards for the mooring lines of ships, etc.

It is a well known fact that when a ship is docked rats will run up a mooring line to board the ship, or run down a mooring line to leave the ship. Preventing the rats from boarding a ship prevents damage to the cargo, and preventing the rats from leaving a ship will prevent diseased rats, or disease-carrying rats from landing and infecting the people adjacent the dock.

It is an important object of the invention, therefore, to provide a rat guard that will prevent rats from boarding or leaving a ship, etc., when it is docked.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rat guard that may be quickly attached to a mooring line, thereby saving time and effort on the part of the dockman.

At the present time rat guards are secured to mooring lines by tieing them to the mooring line with the use of small pieces of cord, etc. This is time consuming and also requires a great deal of eifort considering the number that are usually placed in position on a mooring line. The rapidity with which rat guards embodying the invention are installed provides a great labor saving and time saving device that is simple in construction and operation, and of low cost manufacture.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of novel details of construction and arrangements and combinations of parts more fully hereinafter described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view partially in section of a rat guard embodying the invention in position on a mooring line;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view partially broken away showing the rat guard removed from the mooring line.

Referring now in more detail to the drawing wherein like parts are designated by like reference numerals, the reference numeral is used to generally designate a rat guard embodying the invention.

The rat guard 10 comprises a sectional disc member 11 that includes a pair of semi-circular sections 12 and 13. Section 12 has an outer curved edge 14 and an inner straight edge 15, likewise section 13 has an outer curved edge 16 and an inner straight edge 17. The section 12 has an L-shaped pocket 18 formed integral therewith that extends for a short distance along and adjacent to .the straight edge thereof. Pocket 18 has a side portion 19 that is parallel to the section 12 and is spaced therefrom by an end portion 20 that extends at right angles to the section 12. Straight edge 17 has a section 13 that is receivable in the pocket 18 and an car 21 is provided on the straight edge 17 at the point of merger with the curved edge 16. A pivot pin 22 extends through the pocket 18 and ear 21 of the section 13 to pivotally connect the two sections together so that the straight edges 15 and 17 of the two sections 12 and 13 are in overlapping relation to each other. Y

Elliptical slot 23 extends inwardly of the straight edge 15 of the section 12 in an upwardly inclined relation thereto, and the slot 23 extends through pocket 18 adjacent the lower end thereof. The edges of the slot 23 are provided with serrations 24 and 25 that lie in diametrically opposed relation to each other. A similarly shaped elliptical slot 26 extends inwardly of the straight edge 17 of the section 13 in an upwardly inclined rela tion thereto, and the edges of the slot 26 are provided with serrations 27 and 28 that lie in diametrically opposed relation to each other. Slots 23 and 26 are so positioned in sections 12 and 13 that they are arranged in overlapping relation to each other when the rat guard 10 is in position on a mooring line A, FIGURE 1.

The section 13 has a small opening 29 adjacent the free end thereof through which is extended a short piece of cord, etc., 31 A knot 31 is placed on the free end of the cord 30 to prevent the cord from becoming disengaged frorn the opening 29.

A bowl shaped weight 32 is rigidly fixed to the free end of the cord 30 and a hook member 33 is rigidly fixed to the section 12 in line with the opening 29 and the hook member 33 is adapted to receive the cord 30 as shown in FIGURE 1.

In the operation of the rat guard 10 it is opened, as shown in FIGURE 3, and is placed around the mooring line A so that when the sections 12 and 13 are moved toward each other the serrations 24 and 25 in the slot 23 and the serrations 27 and 28 in the slot 26 will engage the mooring line A and prevent the rat guard 10 from slipping on the mooring line A. The cord 30 is then placed in the hook member 33 and a downward pull of the weight 32 will urge sections 12 and 13 towards each other to cause the serrations to more firmly grip the mooring line A.

The disc 11 in its over-all area is of a size to prevent rats from climbing around the rat guard 10 so that rats cannot board or leave a ship While it is docked.

There has thus been provided a rat guard that is simple in operation and construction, and it is believed from the foregoing description the structure and operation of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and it is to be understood that changes in the minor details of construction, arrangement and combination of parts may be resorted to provided they fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A rat guard for mooring lines of ships comprising a disc formed of a pair of semi-circular disc sections, each including a straight edge having an elongated serrated opening therein, and a semi-circular edge, said straight edges being aligned in confronting relation, means forming a pocket in one straight edge in which the other straight edge seats, means pivotally connecting said disc sections adjacent one end of their confronting straight edges, one of said disc sections having an opening therein adjacent the end of its straight edge opposite the pivotal connection and spaced from said last-mentioned edge, a flexible member passed through said opening; a ball on one end of said fiexible'member retaining said one end of said flexible member in said opening, a Weight on References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Fassman Aug. 6, 1940 Byrd Mar. 4, 1941 Bernhard Oct. 4, 1949 Osol Nov. 11, 1952 Reubenstine Nov. 8, 1960 

